Why Writing Skills Are Important for Your Career and How You Can Improve Them

Writing is one of the most critical yet underrated skills as far as job hunting is concerned. Other than conveying a particular message clearly, good writing also creates a certain impression about you or the entity you represent. For this reason, having good writing skills can significantly increase your chances of getting your dream job. 

Some job seekers believe that they don't need great writing skills, especially if the job does not involve direct communication with clients. But that's not necessarily true. You don't need to work at the front desk or in the communications team to learn a thing or two about writing. On the contrary, some employers won't even take a second look at your resume or cover letter if they've been poorly written. So yes, the importance of writing goes way beyond the job itself - it starts from the very beginning when writing your job application. 

Here's an overview of the importance of writing skills for your career. 

Creates a Great First Impression

Let's start right from the beginning before you submit your job application to a potential employer. Having a resume or cover letter with typos and grammatical errors creates the wrong first impression about you. Remember, after reading what you've written, employers will have a rough idea of what to expect from you. So if you've listed 'attention to detail' as part of your skills, but your cover letter, resume, or even email has typos and other writing errors, chances are the potential employer won't be so impressed with you. 

The first impression aside, having great writing skills makes you stand out in the workplace. Here's an example. 

John gets a job as a cleaner at a startup. Part of his duties and responsibilities is to write reports at the end of each shift and submit them to his employers via email. A few months later, his employers realize how consistently well-written John's emails have been. As a result, John receives a better job offer, which includes writing corporate emails, memos, etc. With time and further training, John moves up from a cleaner to the head of media and communications. 

The example above doesn't necessarily mean you'll have the same fairytale run as John. Instead, it means having great writing skills is just one of the many ways to become more noticeable at work, paving the way for better opportunities within the company or even beyond. 

Helps in Business Communication 

There's the casual communication with your colleague in the office, and then there's also the actual business communication with potential clients, your bosses, the company's shareholders, stakeholders, and other entities. The last thing you want to do is send a corporate email that's poorly written and contains several writing mistakes. 

Enhances Credibility at the Workplace

Credibility isn't something you earn by default after getting a job. Instead, it's something you work on, and, sometimes, it may take longer than usual, especially if you have poor writing skills. Here's why. 

Suppose you send a poorly-written email to your co-workers or employer. In that case, it could change their perception of you, regardless of your qualifications for the job. Besides, given that writing skills are uncommon these days, being a good writer gives you the upper hand in different situations and opportunities at the workplace. 

Simplifies the Documentation Process

Most jobs require documentation, and you don't have to work at the front desk to be involved. From incident reporting to progress notes, each workplace has its own unique needs regarding documentation. You don't want to be that one employee whose English is always difficult to read and understand. 

Gives Your Social Media a Professional Look

Did you know that what you post on social media could actually prevent you from being hired for a particular role? The posts don't even have to be controversial, such as a political opinion. Instead, a potential employer could reject your application if your social media doesn't reflect the kind of communication skills they're looking for. 

This sounds a bit odd, but the truth is, years ago, hiring managers didn't care much about job seekers' social media. But now, things are different. Social media has become very much part of our lives. What you post on social media matters just as much as how you post does. 

Here's why.

Suppose you intend to apply for the role of the social media manager. In that case, your social media could influence your chances of getting hired. This is because employers assume that if your social media is full of typos and grammatical mistakes, chances are you'll transfer the same errors to their social media accounts if hired. 

Demonstrates Courtesy and Respect

Respect and courtesy create the foundation for effective communication in the business world. When you take your time to compose a professional email, the recipients will always appreciate your professionalism, courtesy, and respect. 

How To Improve Your Writing Skills 

Here are some great tips to help you become a better writer and boost your chances of landing your dream job.

Start With the Basics 

You don't need to learn how to write like an expert writer. That's not the goal. Instead, focus on learning how to communicate clearly, avoiding common writing mistakes. For instance, you don't need to learn when to use dashes but you should understand the basics, such as:

• writing clear, complete sentences;

• stick with simple word choice;

• avoiding fragments or run-on sentences;

• how and when to use quotation marks;

• where and when to use commas and other basic punctuation makes; and

• the difference between

   

  there, they're, and their, and other common writing mistakes.  

Identify Your Mistakes

You're probably wondering how it's possible to identify your mistakes if you don't even know what your writing mistakes are. It's simple - share your writing with your friends or family members (of course, those who won't make you feel bad about your writing), and ask them to help identify mistakes you've made. Alternatively, there are plenty of free online writing tools and apps you can use to identify some of your common mistakes. 

And if you know of any editor, writer, or professional proofreader, consider talking to them about ways to brush up your writing. Once you've identified your most common mistakes, you can begin to practice different ways to improve them. Whether you decide to take online writing courses or have your friends or family help you out, the list of possibilities is endless. 

Plan Before You Write

Many people, especially experienced writers, can write excellent content without planning. This is because they're more experienced and can easily play around with words and ideas to create brilliant content. But every expert writer was once an amateur, and that's something that should inspire you throughout this journey.

When writing, the last thing you want is to struggle with the flow and content plan simultaneously. So, for best results, create a plan for whatever content you wish to write and focus on writing after that. 

Be Brief and Straightforward

When sharpening your writing skills, avoid long, confusing sentences or paragraphs. Instead, focus on writing short sentences that are easy to read and understand. The most important thing is to deliver the message in a clear, conceivable manner.

Avoid Complicating Things

In an attempt to impress readers, some writers use big vocabulary. But the truth is, most readers, including writers and editors, don't like such writing. You don't want to write an email that sounds like a philosophy essay or term paper. If so, most readers won't even go past the first paragraph. Big vocabularies don't necessarily signify great writing; instead, most readers lose interest when they encounter such content. 

How to Show Your Writing Skills When Applying for a Job

We've discussed how writing skills are important when hired for a particular role. But even before that, you can demonstrate your writing abilities in different ways. Here's how. 

You need to use correct grammar, tenses, and punctuation on your resume. When writing your work experience, begin with action words like:

• Managed

• Supervised

• Mentored

• Developed

• Publicized

• Pioneered

• Established

• Founded

• Expanded 

And so on. 

So, instead of writing 'I was the lead engineer at Microsoft,' consider switching to something like 'Led a team of 100 engineers at Microsoft.' Here's a more comprehensive resume writing guide worth checking out. 

Unlike resumes, cover letters give you more room to showcase your writing skills. Follow the tips we've discussed above to write a great cover letter. Here are some additional cover letter writing tips to consider:

• explain why you're the right candidate for the job;

• use past experiences relevant to the job;

• ensure your sentences and paragraphs flow and support your narrative; and

• write with a little bit of personality, giving the reader an idea of who you are as an individual. 

When communicating with a potential employer, for example, via email, make sure you proofread your email and follow the tips we've discussed above to improve your writing. By now, you know that a poorly-written email could ruin your chances of getting hired. You don't want to lose a great opportunity just because of a missing comma or a spelling mistake in your email. 

The Bottom Line

Most jobs require strong writing skills by default, while others don't necessarily have this requirement. However, it's always advisable to work on your writing skills at the personal level because of the endless opportunities that require such skills and the feeling of satisfaction that comes with communicating effectively at the workplace and beyond.